The Middlebury College Choral Chameleon Ensemble put on a most unusually staged concert at several locations simultaneously in the MAC hallways and main concert hall the evening of Jan 22. They broke up the chorale five octets and a vocal trio that sang continuously for more than an hour as the audience was divided into small groups that were released every 6-8 minutes to walk through the six different sites where the singing never stopped.

Each site had a theme with phrases suggesting aspects of the theme, which you could reflect on as the singing continued to flow around you as you paused for a few minutes at each location. The music was ethereal, meditative, mystical, and mostly atonal but always pleasant. It was the most unusual concert I’ve ever heard. I’d love to hear more. Maybe even offer the wandering “audience” an opportunity to dialogue about the themes of the event.

David Benedict

Middlebury